7000 Words of Amourshipping
by AnotherShipInTheWall
Summary: For Amourshipping Week 2017, 7 stories, 1000 words each one. Sorry for the delay. Day Seven: Family! - Final Part of a Mini-Fic called "The Great Contact"
1. Fireworks!

Fireworks!

3…

2…

1…

\- Happy New Year! – Shouted Serena, Ash, Clemont and Bonnie at the same time –

\- Big brother… - Bonnie complained, not seeing any explosions in the sky –

\- I swear my calculations were not off! I followed the instructions with all detail!

Bonnie pouted and ran inside the Lumiose City Gym, followed closely by his brother

\- At least we had a good time preparing the fireworks, didn't we Serena?

No response was heard from the performer. She was wearing her usual clothes, no accessories, except for her characteristic blue ribbon, nothing different of her usual style.

It was comprehensible. Earlier that day, Clemont suggested they could make their own fireworks, and when Ash was preparing his, Serena entered the room.

He got so captivated by her beauty, the way that red dress just suited her so perfectly, that he didn't noticed he was putting too much powder in a canister.

\- So? - She asked, turning around – How do I look?

\- You look like a princess! Maybe a queen! – Bonnie chirped, insisting in how Serena should dress like that more often –

\- Stunning! – Clemont commented, fixing his glasses – Red is definitely your color!

However, the most surprised of the group was also the silent one. Ash was there, just looking at her. He was aware he had to say something, quickly!

After all, Serena was his girlfriend. The word was still strange for him, but he had to get used to it. The feelings he developed for the honey haired girl during their journey grew stronger the last couple of months.

And when he found out she felt the same way about him, he couldn't be happier.

But that was the past, right now, she was facing one of the greatest challenges of his life: Telling Serena how she looked… in front of their friends.

\- So… - She insisted, smiling with hope at what his boyfriend had to say -

\- I…

And that's when Ash realized he never stopped putting powder in the canister. When he looked down, he started to sneeze uncontrollably.

\- I… CHOO!

One second later, Serena's red dress was ruined

\- Ash… How could you?

She exited the room, starting to cry, and since then, she never said a word to him in all day

Now, looking at the clouded sky in the first minutes of the New Year, the trainer tried a different approach:

\- You still mad at me, aren't you Serena?

\- Why would I be? – She responded, shooting a menacing glare at him –

\- Because I ruined your dress

\- You know Ash? I know you always were dense with things like romance, but sometimes I wonder if you understand me at all

\- What do you mean?

\- I'm not mad for what happened with the dress; after all, it was an accident. A silly accident, but one that I can forgive you for.

\- Then why are you mad?

\- Figure it out yourself… - She answered, she was not mad, but rather –

"Wait a second" – Ash thought – "Look at her face, at her smile, she's not angry of course, but she's rather enjoying this"

\- It's something I said?

\- No

\- It's something I did?

\- Nope

\- You're still jealous that I write at Miette a Happy New Year text message?

\- Not so much

\- I sneezed all over the powder, and because of that, Clemont's fireworks aren't working. It is that?

\- Cold

\- I'm lost Serena, seriously…

\- Let's try something different, what was the first question you asked me?

\- I asked you if you wanted to come with me, Clemont and Bonnie in our journey

\- That's so sweet! You remembered the first day, when we started our journey!

Ash smiled, glad to hear that, but then, he frowned as soon as Serena said:

\- But I didn't mean that dummy! What was the first question you asked me, a moment ago?

\- I… - He doubted for a second – I asked if it was something I said

\- There is your clue, now think about it

It didn't took too much for the trainer to realize what her girlfriend meant

\- It wasn't something I said… It was something I didn´t!

\- Oh…

\- I didn't respond to you when you asked me how you looked.

And then, silence felt between the two, again.

\- Pikachu, buddy, come here to help me! Prepare a thunderbolt! A strong one!

\- Pika!

\- Greninja, come out and use water shuriken! Both of you, aim to the sky when I said!

\- Ninja! Pika!

\- Now Noivern, come out and shoot a Boomburst!

\- Noi!

\- Ash… what are you doing? – Serena asked, worried for the sudden change in his attitude –

\- Clemont, Bonnie, come here and take a look!

At his signal, the three Pokemon obeyed his trainer's command, in a second, the thunderbolt and the water shurikens collided with each other, while the Boomburst impacted in the center of the collision, creating a huge explosion.

A homemade firework.

\- So cute! – Bonnie exclaimed –

\- What a sight! – Clemont said, admired –

\- Come on guys, repeat!

Ninja!

Pika!

Noi!

\- Look at the sky, Serena – Ash said, looking at her eyes – What do you see?

\- Something beautiful

\- Well, that can't be compared to how beautiful you are. And no matter what dress you're wearing, what makes you cute are not your clothes or your accessories. It's your smile, the sound of your voice, and…

\- And? – The performer asked, coming closer to him –

\- And… the way you kiss me – The raven haired boy exclaimed sheepishly –

\- Big brother, look!

\- I know, Pikachu's thunderbolt…

\- No, at your left!

Clemont smiled at what his sister was pointing

Serena and Ash, looking at each other, their faces blushing.

\- Happy New Year, Ash

\- Happy New Year, Serena…

\- I love you - said both at the same time -

\- So... - Ash asked - Are you happy with my answer?

\- Does this answer your question? - Serena replied, kissing him again -

They both enjoyed the moment, as fireworks exploded once more over Lumiose City Gym.


	2. Letters!

Letters!

Ash looked at the time, it was noon. He looked at the blank piece of paper in front of him and sighed heavily.

Suddenly, he heard footsteps. Lillie and Mallow most probably, trying to take a peek at his letter, he crumbled the paper between his hands and put it into a waste bin, full of failed attempts. His classmates wouldn't see what he was writing. Not again.

Over and over again, each time with different words, he tried to capture his own feelings in a phrase. But unlike Pokemon, this was an impossible cath. He simply could not focus.

He used all kinds of words, but it was useless, those words were hypocrite, meaningless, worn out by writing them again and again.

He looked at the challenging blank paper in front of him, closed his eyes, opened them again and started:

 _"_ _Serena:_

 _I could perfectly write "My dear Serena", but that wouldn't be fair, right? Not after how I failed you, how I failed in realizing the way you felt about me. That morning in the escalator, you gave me my first kiss, you changed my world completely, and I didn't know what to say. I looked at you, blushing once again, and I understood everything. I saw you under a new light, and when I tried to tell you that, it was too late._

 _I'm feeling pain right now, one I didn't felt before, I talked about it with Lana, one of my new friends here in the Alola Region, and she says it's possible I'm feeling guilty for not knowing that you had a crush on me._

 _That's how she called it, a crush. She also told me that if I mentioned to you about her, I had to clarify that she's not a "threat to you"in any way. Honestly, I'm still trying to understand all of these words; I didn't even know what a crush was a month ago!_

 _I'll have to admit it then; it's that feeling of guilt that I can't still get off my chest; it has invaded me since I left Kalos. And I think coming here to Alola only made things worse._

 _Specially, because you're not around. I mean, my life has been basically since I left my home: I met new people, made friends with them, we travel together, and when time comes, we broke apart, and each one to their own way._

 _And now I know why I'm feeling guilty too. For not telling you that I didn't want that for us, that all I wanted was you coming here with me. I'm sure you could learn so much in this place._

 _And I'm sure you could teach me so many things, too._

 _You're so far away from me now, and I don't want that. I want you close. I need you close, Serena…_

 _I'm not making any sense, right?_

 _Actually, I don't even know how to finish this letter, so I'll said it again_

 _I miss you Serena. I miss you deeply._

 _Ash"_

\- No! No! No! – Ash shouted, disgusted with the new result – This is not working!

He compressed the paper with as much strength as he was capable of, and threw it in the trash can, now empty. He was so tired of this, so tired of being so incompetent to express his own feelings. He covered his face with his hands, he was not going to cry, but frustration had taken the best of him and he didn't know what else to do.

After a few minutes, he realized something. Why was the trash can empty? He looked at the object again. His most recent letter was gone! Suddenly, he heard a couple of voices, mixed with sobbing. Was someone crying?

He came out of the room, finding Lillie and Mallow, their faces covered in tears, and all of his letters at their feet.

\- No! – He screamed, panicking – What… What are you doing?

\- Ash… - Lillie said, getting up – I apologize, but we had to do this! And… this is, so… so…

\- Embarrassing, I know!

\- Beautiful! – Said the blonde girl and Mallow, at the same time –

\- What?

\- You're such a poet! – The green haired girl added – Serena loved this one!

\- Serena would love this one, you're trying to say – Ash corrected –

\- No – a sweet voice said behind his back – Serena loved this one

Ash turned around, and right in front of him, was that girl. The girl that haunted his dreams (in the most beautiful way) since he put a foot in Alola.

\- What… What are you doing here?

\- A week ago I received a call from Lillie, she told me that she met you, and that you were writing letters to someone called Serena

\- But how did she know it was you?

\- Remember some weeks ago – Mallow intervened – When Lana asked you about your previous adventures?

\- Yes… - Ash was starting to connect the dots –

\- You mentioned Lumiose City's gym Leader, so we called him and he gave us Serena's address

\- Oh…

\- And since you helped overcome my fear of Pokemon – Lillie said – I knew I had to repaid you, so Serena's here thanks to one of my private planes

\- Oh…

\- By the way – Serena completed – You'll have a new classmate, starting tomorrow

\- Who? – Ash questioned –

\- Oblivious as always– The performer commented, laughing –

\- Oh! – The trainer grinned when she realized his girl was staying – We have to prepare for next week, we'll meet the Kahuna…

\- Yes, tell me about that later, Ashy

\- Ashy?

\- Your nickname

\- Oh…

\- Now cut it off with the oh's and kiss me!

\- Wha…

But he never ended the phrase, a second later, Serena pressed her lips against his, just like that morning in the airport

\- Oh…! – Mallow and Lillie said, astonished at the boldness of their new friend –


	3. Royalty!

Royalty!

It was her moment. It was her destiny, and the path that she had chosen led her right into this moment. She had won her third princess key and the future was just around the corner.

She was alone now. Her Pokemon at Bonnie's care, her three human friends waiting outside the room.

Right then, Serena heard four knocks on the door. Assuming it was someone she knew, she said:

\- Come in...

An old woman was standing in front of her. A pair of sunglasses hiding part of her identity. She wasn't smiling, and her voice was cold.

\- So... Your next step is taking the challenge to be Kalos Queen, right?

Serena nodded

\- I'm afraid, young lady; you don't have what it takes to beat Elle

\- What do you mean? Who are you?

\- That's not important, but you need to understand something, I saw your performances, you have charm, you have charisma, and a deep connection with your Pokemon, but it's not enough

\- How are you so sure of that?

\- Because I was once like you, many years ago, before I became Kalos Queen, I see your determination, but is not the right kind of determination. You're doing this for someone, but it's not for the right people...

\- I... I don't understand your point...

\- You're trying to impress someone, Am I right?

And then, Serena's whole world fell apart.

\- You don't know me at all!

\- Believe me, I know you better than you think – the woman retorted, taking off her glasses and revealing to be Palermo, the famous producer and former Kalos Queen –

\- I'm capable of winning the title as much as any other girl! And yes, maybe my inspiration doesn't come from the same place as Aria, but it's all that matter to me!

\- What do you mean?

\- Aria presents herself in front of people, and when she does her performances she seeks to bring happiness and joy to all his fans. I, however, I know I had lots of fans, but none of them matter as much as my friends – Serena dared to go beyond that statement – And none of them matters to me as much as Ash

\- And as long you refuse to see there are more people than just your friends out there, you'll never be Kalos Queen

Without another word, Palermo turned around and exited the room, leaving the door open.

Serena wanted to run, she didn't know where, but she needed to run, she needed to escape from that woman's bitter words? Why did she tell her those things? Why was she so sure she couldn't be Queen? Her feet didn't respond and when trying to get up, she lost balance and fell to the ground, starting to cry

\- Serena! Serena! – A chorus of concerned voices was all she heard before drift off to unconscious, Palermo's words still a bitter pill, hard to swallow –

She opened her eyes softly, noticing she was in a hospital bed, a slights pressure on her right arm, she stiffed and blushed invaded her pale face as soon as she found out what that was.

Ash was sleeping at her side, using her arm and his own as a pillow, his hair was messier than usual, and his hat had fallen to the ground.

She moved her arm, trying to touch the boy's cheeks as way to saying "thank you for staying with me". Right when her hand was about to reach him, he woke up

\- I'm glad you're fine Serena – He said, her hand about an inch from distance from his face -

He intertwined his fingers with hers and made all the way to his face. It felt warmer than Serena's expected, which caused to make her blush even more

\- This is what you wanted to do, right? – He asked, a sheepishly smile adorning his face –

She didn't respond

\- Right? – He repeated, afraid he could have gone too far, and moving her hand away -

\- No! I… I like… - Was all that Serena could mutter –

Ash didn't say anything, and her hand was back to his cheek instantly

\- Can I ask you why you believe her lies?

\- What… What are you talking about?

\- I've overheard your conversation with that lady

\- You were spying on me? – Serena retorted, moving her hand away –

\- I care for you, Serena. I had to.

\- I see… Can I…?

\- Sure! – Ash replied, guessing her intentions, and she was back at his face, now touching his chin –

\- Don't listen to her Serena. That woman is toxic

\- Is the greatest Kalosian Performer that ever lived

\- That doesn't make her less toxic. Believe me, I faced that people in my journeys before, my enemies, my rivals, even some Gym Leaders I fought against, they all said I could never achieve my dreams, that I didn't have the potential. But I'm still on this path, I'm doing my best, and I will always do.

\- Ash…

\- And I know you're doing your best too. And quite frankly…

He paused for a second to kiss her hand, and then grabbed it, without letting it go.

\- I'm glad I'm one of the reasons why you still are in this path. And when you reached become Kalos Queen, I'll be there...

With a smirk, he kissed her forehead added:

\- You'll be my Queen and I'll be your Knight

\- Am I dreaming all of this, right? – Serena asked –

\- No, you're not, I promise

\- How can I be sure?

Ash took his place in the side of her bed and replied:

\- When you wake up again, I'll be here, and we'll talk about this, okay?

\- Okay… - Serena agreed, feeling sleepy –

When she woke up, Ash was looking at her

\- Good morning, My Kalos Queen

\- Good morning, My Knight - She said smiling happily -


	4. Kisses!

Kisses!

They shared their first kiss at an airport. Serena was leaving Kalos. Ash felt so excited for that split second, until the escalator took her away from him, not even a Pokemon battle has pumped so much blood to his heart as that day. He confessed that to her a few months later.

Their second kiss was in a new environment, the Alola region, with two pairs of eyes (Mallow and Lillie) watching them giggling like idiots.

Their third kiss was all because of Serena's initiative. AGAIN. A few days after she started school, Kiawe asked about her life and what she did before she ended up in school. She said that it was Ash's fault, when the fire-type expert asked what that meant; Serena simply got up and kissed him. Everyone had to admit it, Ash was a lucky boy.

One night, Serena couldn't sleep, so Ash took a seat beside her bed and stroked her hair gently, telling her he would guard her sleep. She said he couldn't do that, as the next day he would face Kahuna Hala. Ash told him that all that mattered in that moment was her, so Serena fell asleep, embraced by the contact made by the fourth kiss.

Serena looked so radiant the morning after, she bought some pompons in a local store, asked Kiawe to teach her some dancing moves that the Alolan people could like and she performed a cheerleading show for his boyfriend during his battle. When the match was done, Ash, in completely disbelief, came out as the winner. She ran straight to him and gave him his fifth kiss, surprising all the presents.

After that, they lost count, but ask them and both Serena and Ash will tell you what their best kisses were and in what circumstances. Some days, they sneak out from the classroom and they share one or two kisses in the hallway, or they manage to wake up really late at night, making sure that Kukui is completely asleep, and they enjoy their favorite activity together.

Speaking of favorite, Ash's favorite kiss occurred a few days before he challenged the Alola Region final Kahuna. His whole school group was with them, exploring the Vast pony Canyon, looking for Jangmo-O and its evolution chain. The couple had completed that task a few weeks ago, so they decided to explore the valley. It was surprising, really. One second they were walking and at the next one Serena was pressing him against a wall. Ash however, could not pinpoint why exactly _that_ kiss was his favorite. Maybe it was how refreshing it felt in a hot place like that, or the fact that it felt more passionate than other times. But most probably, it was because their friends were cheering for them from the top of the Canyon.

A close second for Ash was the time Serena was teaching Mallow how to make a Kalosian Chocolate Cake. The green haired girl asked the trainer's girlfriend if she could add it to the menu in her restaurant and Serena had to agree. Ash observed the whole process of preparation with interest, only for asking for a piece of cake when it was finished. Serena tasted the chocolate mixture and gave him a kiss, maybe the sweetest she ever gave him. When they broke apart, Mallow was nowhere to be seen, so Serena kissed him again.

As for the Performer (or should we say, Showcase Ambassadress, as that is what Serena does now in Alola, teaching her classmates and some other girls the ways of Performing) , she has to pick the day of the mud.

It had been raining since morning, and Ash didn't want to get up. Professor Kukui received a call from Director Oak; the storm was giving no signs of calming anytime soon, so classes were suspended. At noon, surprisingly, the sky was crystal clear, so she decided to go for a stroll, in company of Braixen, Pancham and Sylveon. She caught sight of a Ribombee and decided to catch it, but the Bee Fly Pokemon was more elusive than she thought. When she realized it was late, she gave up the quest and returned to her home. But shortly after she could make it, the storm started again, she called her Pokemon to their Poke balls and run towards Kukui's house, she slipped and fell into a puddle of mud. She got up quickly, and when she got to her destiny, was received by a very concerned Ash.

He politely asked for her clothes, handing her some of his, put them in the washing machine (eventually he learned how to properly use it), serve her a cup of hot cocoa and, after repeating he was extremely worried, he gave her a long kiss, which made her realize that raven haired boy was all she needed in this life.

While still in Alola, one night Serena asked Ash how many kisses he thought they have shared until that point. They both imagined an approximate response when they heard a blip behind Serena's back. Roto, the Rotom pokedex presented in front of them, stating that they had kissed a total of 187 times, or at least, that was the amount of times he saw. They shared a laugh at the idea of the machine constantly keeping a track of their kisses.

Their longest kiss they had shared lasted a total of 23.5 seconds, and it occurred on the day of their wedding.

Joseph turned eleven years old when their parents had their third from last kiss. It was his birthday party, and the little boy always liked to see his parents kissing each other.

Their second from last kiss (always according to Rotom's calculations) happened the night before The Great Contact…

As for their last kiss, that's a whole different story, one you shouldn't know about, at least not yet…


	5. Sweets!

Sweets!

Serena looked outside the window. The nights in Alola had been longer since the first incident with the Ultra Beasts; it had something to do with the balance between the two legendary Pokemon, Solgaleo and Lunala.

It was all Lusamine's fault; her desire to contact with the other dimension had catastrophic consequences in everyone's life, including Lillie's, her own daughter. The performer will never forget their trip to "the other side", with the concrete mission to save the head of the Aether Foundation.

But all of that was in the past, more precisely, 15 years in the past. Serena and Ash kept travelling after that, from region to region, from League to League, and from capture to capture. Their relationship blossomed in something beautiful, something that not even she could predict.

Serena still remembered how a day after her 21st birthday, in the middle of his final battle against a Gym Leader of the Genzoo Region, Ash stopped mid track and propose to her. She could barely believe what she was hearing, but she accepted immediately.

_ Trrr… Trrr…

Serena looked down at her apron, the little Pokemon hidding in her pocket was having nightmares again.

_ Calm down, Cutty… Calm down – she said softly, handing him a few pieces of macaroons –

The little Kartana, a tiny Ultra Beast with the power to cut every known material obeyed and Serena smiled again. She got Cutty when she and Ash, already married, returned to Alola when they were 26 years old, she found out that the Ultra Beasts threat never left the region, so Ash decided to stay there to protect the people in need

Serena, naturally, stayed with him. Ash would often ask if she didn't prefer to travel around the world again, but the woman understood his husband's motives, so they rented a cabin next to Professor Kukui's place.

Serena looked at the clock: 4:05 AM, one hour and ten minutes until The Great Contact, the phenomenon that scientists had predicted could destroy the entire region, even the whole world. And after all these years, Ash was still Ash, so it was natural for him to being sleeping in a moment like this. Serena approached to him and placed a soft kiss in his lips, still sweet due to their last dessert

Her cell phone rang and she picked up fast as a lightning, at the other side of the line, the voice of a young man could be heard:

\- Mom! Whatever Dad and you…

\- Whatever your Father and I will face is up to us Joseph, you know that…

\- You promised to me Mom… Both of you did… You promised me, Uncle Gary, Aunt Misty and Aunt Bonnie… You promised us we would stop this threat together

Maybe if this situation wouldn't be so dramatic, Serena would've laughed at that. When Joseph was born, all of their friends wanted to carry and take care of the little baby, so she and Ash decided to name all their friends "honorary aunts and uncles"

\- Son, if the worst comes to pass…

\- Mom no! Wait for us, at least for me! Charizard and I will be there in just an hour! We just left Kalos!

Serena commanded all of her Pokemon to their respective Poke balls, not before giving a hug and a treat to each one of them.

\- It will be too late for then Joseph, you know we had to enter the Ultraspace when the next portal opens, and that will happen in less than an hour, a few kilometers from here.

\- You knew right?

Suddenly, someone grabbed Serena's hand and gently took the phone out of her reach.

\- We knew Joseph, that's right. A week ago, I told you and all of our friends that the portal would open outside Lumiose City

\- You lied to us, why?

\- I had to protect you son. I asked Sophocles and Clemont, the ones who detected the anomaly, to keep their mouths shout, we couldn't put in jeopardy anyone else

\- What about Mom?

\- Your Mother was always an expert detecting my lies; she saw right through it and followed me here. Don't blame her.

\- Dad… I'll be there soon. Charizard use Extreme Speed!

\- No you won't Joseph. And Charizard can't learn Extreme Speed, don't try to trick a Champion.

The couple exchanged a look and Ash called his faithful Pikachu to his side, they exited the house and took one last look at the skies of Alola

\- We have to go, Son…

\- Please Dad, don't leave me yet…

\- Fine honey – Serena intervened – We'll talk to you all the way until we reach the portal, is that okay?

The walk was short, Joseph tried to come up with alternatives to deal with the threat along the way, but neither Ash nor Serena agreed with any of them. They stopped a few minutes later, seconds ahead of the time calculated for the opening.

\- Mom – Joseph said, his voice a mixture of sadness and tears – I'll never forgive you if you cross to the other side

\- Honey, if we don't everything will be lost. This event is called The Great Contact for a reason, if we don't stop the Beasts, the next portal that will open will be big enough to allow them to enter our world, chaos would ensued and…

She never finished the phrase, just in that moment, the portal opened in front of her and Ash. Her husband kissed her, once more, they felt that extraordinary sweet sensation that no other thing could made them feel, the trainer tried to assure his wife that everything would be fine.

\- There are too many of those things out there! You can't stop them all by yourselves! - Joseph plead -

The last thing the young boy heard before the communication went off, was his father's voice

\- We have the Freezing Bomb for that...


	6. Reflections!

Reflections!

After so many years of fighting rivals, facing deadly enemies, travel through countless cities, for the first time in his life, Ash Ketchum was afraid.

The eerie scenery of the Ultra Space was maybe too much for him, so he started shaking, his whole being trembling with violence at the sight of the first Nihilegos.

\- I'm here – Serena added, embracing him from behind –

\- Maybe Joseph was right – Ash admitted – Maybe this is too much for us.

\- There's only one way to found out – Serena said – Kartana, Sylveon, Delphox, Pangoro, Ribombee, Lurantis come out!

 _Meanwhile, in a Parallel Universe…_

\- Having second thoughts, Ash? – Mirror Serena asked her boyfriend, seeing how nervous he was in front of his friends –

\- Why would I? – He replied –

\- You should say I do, honey – Serena reminded him –

\- Oh, sure… - He panicked for a second, but calmed down once she grabbed his hands – I do! I'll take her as my beautiful wife!

 _Back at the Ultra Space:_

\- Greninja, use water shuriken! Charizard, flamethrower, full power!

Both of the Pokemon obeyed the trainer's commands, while Serena's Pangoro was attacked by a Celesteela's Flash Cannon, the power of the move was so much that affected Serena's range of vision.

Temporarily blind, she fell to the ground. His faithful Kartana, the drawn sword Pokemon, the one who owed her his life, stepped in front of his trainer, using protect

Serena felt touched by the loyalty of the Ultra Beast, she still could remember what happened so many years ago, when she, Ash and Lillie saved Lusamine and opened the portal to return to their world, she found Kartana lying unconscious close to her, obviously affected by the blast of their battle against the Nihilegos.

She didn't think about that twice and quickly placed the Pokemon in her pocket, carefully to not cut herself.

An echoing roar wake her up from her daydream: Two Buzzwole flying directly towards Ash

 _In the Parallel Universe_

After so many years, Ash Ketchum had grown into a pretty competent trainer, his confidence was boosted by the fact that Serena was by his side, so, when the ceremony ended, he asked:

\- Where I would be without you, Serena?

She looked into his dark eyes and blushed, after all this time; he still had that effect on her

\- Probably lost at the Santalune Forest – she replied laughing – But seriously, I'm sure you´d be an amazing trainer, even without me

\- I don't want to think about that

\- What?

\- I don't want to think about being without you, not again – He completed, kissing her again –

\- Believe me Ash, I'm not going anywhere…

 _At the Ultra Space_

\- Sylveon, Moonblast. Krookodile, Rock Blast!

Both Ultra Beasts were sent back by the attack, the intimidation Pokemon repeating his move. Serena felt sure that their Pokemon could defeat their enemies.

The performer threw a couple of Ultra Balls, capturing the wild specimens.

Ash activated a radar and asked:

\- How many more are out there?

\- 21 Ultra Beasts captured. 57 more in the proximity. Warning: Spatial distortion detected, next portal will open in 32 minutes.

\- We still have time… Pikachu, thunderbolt!

Serena looked at her husband. They both were doing their best. But that would be enough?

 _In the Parallel Universe_

The music was soft; the ambience perfect for that moment, unlike his counterpart, the Ash Ketchum of this reality was an excellent dancer. Serena however, was tense; she couldn't feel comfortable with things like this.

\- I'm sorry… - she whispered softly –

\- What for?

\- For making you wait for so long. When we met in Kalos, I knew you had feelings for me.

\- It was pretty obvious, right?

\- And I did notice, but in response for that, I just kept calling you a crybaby and bragged about how good I was battling

\- You _are_ good at battling – Mirror Ash corrected –

\- That's not the point Ash, I was so arrogant that when you confessed to me I panicked and left you

Silence felt between the two of them. She was right, that time, when their journey came to an end; she left him heartbroken, without saying a single word

\- But you came back to me

\- Almost 10 years later

He kissed her again; the contact lasted longer this time

\- And it was worth the wait, my darling…

 _At the Ultra Space_

\- Portal opening in 3.4 seconds, 80 meters ahead. 34 Ultra Beasts left.

The couple looked at their challenge ahead. Charizard, Sylveon, Sceptile, Glalie and Kartana couldn't battle anymore. Ash took Serena's hand and asked:

\- Do you think we can make it?

She gulped, the answer was no. Of course they couldn't. She was hurt in her right ankle and he had their left arm covered in blood.

\- You shouldn't have done that – was her response, pointing at his bloody arm –

\- You were in danger…

\- You don't have to protect me always, I'm a woman now – She said smiling –

He tried to counter with a witty response, but he couldn't.

\- I'm sorry – he whispered before collapsing into her arms –

\- Ash!

She and all of their Pokemon were surrounded now. There was nothing left to do. Greninja searched for something in his trainer's backpack and handed it to Serena.

\- No! – She said – I can't!

\- Pika! – The yellow rodent added, picking a photo of Joseph from Ash's backpack –

\- Are you sure?

At the unison, the Pokemon hugged her and Ash, looking towards the Beasts.

Without saying another word, Serena activated the Freezing Bomb and threw it a few meters in front of her. The device activated, sending a wave that stopped the creatures in their place, trapping them in some sort of crystal cage.

However, the main problem with the Freezing Bomb was that it couldn't be stopped. Serena looked at the crystal reflecting Ash's and her face.

Her last thought was…

"At least Joseph is safe"


	7. Family!

Family!

Eleven years old Joseph stared at the empty space in front of him, waiting for the Wormhole to open.

\- How much time left? – He asked –

\- Five seconds according to the projections zzt! – His Father's Rotomdex responded –

But nothing happened.

So he kept waiting, sitting on the grass between the hills.

Two minutes

\- Maybe my calculations were a little off, zzt!

Fourteen minutes

\- Maybe Lusamine's calculations were off... – Joseph said, impatiently –

And after three hours and forty two minutes of staring into the nothing, Joseph fell asleep.

Morning came and people of the Alola Region thanked Arceus for a bright new day, they were alive, and despite the multiple warnings of the Aether Foundation, no new Wormholes had open.

People offered tributes to the Guardian Pokemon of each Island, but still, some people knew the truth: A couple was responsible for stopping the threat.

And now they were gone.

\- Joseph?

The young man woke up to the sound of a familiar voice. A redhead woman was looking at him from above, offering him a hand

\- Aunt Misty?

She helped him to get up and hugged him tightly

\- For how long I was sleeping?

\- Fifteen hours, zzt! – Announced Rotom –

Now looking at one of his father's best friends, Joseph asked:

\- Mon and Dad? Are they…?

\- I'm sorry Joseph… No new Wormholes had opened in the last hours, and apparently… they won't. The atmospherically anomalies had disappeared completely. They saved us all.

\- At what cost? – The young man asked, starting to cry –

His aunt didn't have the heart to respond.

A few days later, a ceremony was held in private. Joseph was amazed at how many people their parents had met in their life. He received both hugs from his grandmothers, Delia and Grace, and the promise that he was going to be fine; they would take care of him now.

But it wasn't enough. He looked at the statue, constructed in just a few hours by a group of Pokemon. His father was using his signature cap and with a big smile, his mother at his side, holding hands with him and between the two of them was Pikachu, ready to attack.

Each one of the presents had something to say about the couple, but as the hours passed by, people started to leave the place, Joseph noticed he was (almost) alone.

\- You're all what I had left of my parents, Rotom – Joseph stated–

\- That's not true, zzt! – Rotom answered – You have their Pokemon, zzt!

\- I can't bring myself to use them, or even looking at them again...

\- You have the house, where you live all your life, zzt!

\- That place is haunted Rotom, and not by Ghost Pokemon precisely

\- What about their friends, zzt? They're all your family, zzt!

He couldn't answer that, so Rotom continued:

\- They need you, as much as you need them, that's what they said, zzt!

\- Who said it?

\- Ash and Serena, zzt! They left a video for you, zzt!

Joseph looked at the screen, a few seconds later, their parents faces appeared, both of them smiling

\- Joseph – Ash said – If you're seeing this, Mommy and Daddy are not longer by your side, at least not physically. We know you blame us for not letting you come to the Ultra Space with us, but losing you would have been too much. You need to keep going now, you are our son, and we are proud of you, wherever you go, whatever you do, we'll always be proud, because you are our legacy, a testament of the love between your mother and me…

The boy's face was filled with tears, Rotom floated away for a moment, then returned with a napkin, placed over Joseph's lap and continued the video; Serena's face could be seen now:

\- Joseph, you are the biggest treasure of my life, both of our lives, so if you're still seeing this, you have to know something: It's okay to feel sad, it's okay to miss us, but you can't do that all the time, you have to wake up and go out there, follow your father's example: Travel, meet people, help them, find Pokemon, build a connection with them, and most of all: Be happy. As happy as your father and I have been throughout all these years…

A moment later, the screen went off

\- Video has ended zzt! - Rotom explained sadly -

\- Play it again - Joseph pleaded -

Suddenly, the boy felt an arm on his shoulder; he turned around to see a blonde woman with long hair, looking at him sympathetically

\- Hi…

\- Aunt Lillie! – Joseph said, remembering her – It has been five years now... Where have you been?

\- Working with my mother trying to contain the Wormholes

\- I see…

\- I tried to tell you something, but the funeral ended before I could get here

\- You came to say your condolences?

\- No Joseph. Come out, Nebby!

A moment later, the Moone Pokemon, Lunala, presented itself in front of the young trainer

\- Nebby opened a portal to the Ultra Space last week, and... we found them

Joseph was speechless, even more a few minutes later.

Down inside the Aether Foundation's Lab, a group of scientists was working over a crystal case

\- Ash, Serena and the rest of their Pokemon are trapped in there, we need to be extremely careful, all of them are injured, but alive - Lillie explained - But I promise we will get them out of there; it may take a while though

Joseph looked at the frozen image of their parents; Serena was holding his father in her arms, kissing him softly, he realized that this scene showed how much they care for each other, for their Pokemon, and even for him. This was the true testament of their unconditional love.

\- Don't worry Aunt Lillie – the young trainer replied, hope gleaming in his eyes – I can wait.

THE END


End file.
